Swiss regional airline Helvetic Airways formally received its second state-of-the-art new Embraer E190-E2 aircraft at Zurich Airport on Sunday evening.

The second member of the new Helvetic Airways Embraer E190-E2 fleet, which bears the registration HB-AZB, touched down in Zurich as planned yesterday evening at 20:28 CET. The delivery flight from Brazil to Switzerland had taken just over 11 hours, with intermediate stops in Recife, the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, and Las Palmas on Gran Canaria.

A quieter and more ecofriendly aircraft

The arrival of HB-AZB marks a further milestone in Helvetic Airways’ ongoing fleet renewal. By 2021 the Swiss-based carrier will have one of Europe’s most advanced and ecofriendly regional aircraft fleets.

With its enhanced aerodynamics and its impressive latest-generation engines, the Embraer E190-E2 boasts much-improved fuel consumption credentials. Helvetic Airways has already seen a substantial reduction here in the E190-E2’s first few weeks in operation.

The Embraer E190-E2 is good news for Zurich Airport area residents, too. Its geared turbofan (GTF) engine technology helps reduce noise emissions, making the E190-E2 quieter than its predecessor. So as a key European regional airline, Helvetic Airways is making a tangible contribution to the sustainable further development of Zurich Airport and its local region.

HB-AZB should enter revenue service on Swiss International Airlines’ European network in the next few days. Its arrival brings the Helvetic Airways fleet to 13 aircraft: eleven Embraer E190-E1s and two E190-E2s. New E190-E2 deliveries will intensify next year, with further aircraft scheduled to arrive in the first and second quarter.